Races of Andurun Update

Elves

Variant Races: Elder and Anjuruin (eastern and western)

Lifespan: 100 years (outside of Sylvanri)

Age of maturity: 75 years

Common skin color: pale white with a light hue of tan, bordering on pure albino

Common eye color: light green or blue to deep shades of either color, or deep gray

Common hair color: light blond to golden blond with streaks of red, white or brown

Common Height: 5½-6 feet (men), 5-5½ feet (women)

Common Weight: 150 lbs. (men), 100 lbs. (women)

Language: Medwin (their native tongue)

Common Male Names: Corellan, Ringlarun, Feanor, Kether, Ferrian or Devis

Common Female Names: Arwen, Cerese, Laurana, Mystal, Sylindreal or Kendra

Common House Names: Larathian, Magnamyr, Solenkai, Eldron or Fingalond

 Ghosts of the wild lands far from Humans, Elves are the silent and pale hunters of the realm. They are a race of isolationists, removing themselves from the wants and cares of the realm, deep within beautiful and deadly wilderness where no one else ventures: mostly for fear of their reprisal. Little is known concerning the workings of the Elves, which is exactly how they like it. They are master crafters of fine shirts of mail armor and masterwork swords; a craft they also apply to the working of fine clothes and wood crafting. They appreciate architecture, so long as it is of great houses and halls of finely carved wood, buildings that can breathe and portray a sense of space to them. The armor and weapons they forge are generally crafted from a precious metal named Eldain, which is harder than steel and far lighter. In fact, a chain shirt crafted from that metal grants far more protection while weighing less than common leather armor.

Not always busying themselves with laboring, the Elves enjoy pressing wine and writing songs or narratives to amuse themselves and entertain others. They appreciate learning music in both voice and instrument, and Elvish ballads can be heard wafting through the evening breeze far away from Sylvanri: their native land. Elves are a sober lot when it concerns work and business matters, and jovial when it comes time to make merry, never crossing or blurring the line between the two. Elves do not care for the presence of races other than their own, least of all Dwarves, whom they feel have nothing in common with. Their striking eyes, coupled with their delicate features and tipped ears make them a sight to behold on those that have never seen an Elf before. Despite this physical beauty, Elves can be described as cold, haughty or even plain rude to other races they speak with. To an Elf trust and respect, two things they consider closely linked, is not given: it is earned. To this end, an Elf grants no quarter in regards to carrying your own weight, and tends to expect none. Once befriended, however, an Elf is a close confidant for the whole of their life.

           

Elves have keen sight, far exceeding the visual ability of other races. They generally keep their hair long, looped in a restraint of some kind or simply falling over their backs. Rarely does an Elf, male or female, have hair that is less than shoulder length. Men keep their hair and their dress simple, but tidy and respectable, while women use elaborate weaves, braids, blushes, perfumes and fanciful dress to adorn themselves. They do this partially out of tradition’s sake and partly out of a love of refinement that most Elves carry in their blood. An Elf’s love of life is no more apparent than when revelry begins. They sing, dance and drink wine without care or caution: a total opposite to the face they tend to carry for most of their life. Elvish marriages are arranged between Houses to strengthen ties between them.

Elvish ruler-ship is governed by a conclave of seven nobles. The nobles gather in a meeting hall to discuss matters of law, tradition and trade. Arranged marriage is important within the gathering because one family might have relations by blood or marriage to a number of the conclave, sitting themselves in a position of prestige among other Elvish Houses. There is a ruling king of the race, but his House merely sits as perhaps the most influential of the noble Houses rather than an iron fisted ruler. Loridian Rothelmaer, the successor to Tyril after he was exiled, claimed the throne after the great Houses sued for their proper claim to it. A half century of debate ended with Loridian proving that he was indeed a blood heir to Lorith, the first king of the Elves. Loridian was pressed into war after coming to disaccord with Human lords ruling the great cities of Telaine and Teomora. Acting to defend his people and his borders he ordered the Watchers to repel all invaders that dared to enter Elvish lands, which in turn instigated the War of Severing, or the Dividing War. After more than three years of struggles and strife, Loridian met with the lords of the southern cities in the year 535 of the 2^nd Age to bring to terms an agreement between the races.

Thus, the founding borders of Sylvanri were recognized by the southern lords, and the sovereign rule of the kingdom of Telaine was recognized by the Elves. As part of the treaty Loridian surrendered the northern province of the Sarafin Forest to Human travel and providence. But without Elvish wardens to govern the land itself the forest became a shadowy grove of hidden dangers. It was named by the hunters of Holst township the Forest of Silence, due to the eerie quiet that often lingers through every stand of trees within. The land of Myrodia, at length, surrendered the Forest of Silence to become a free land after its dangers became apparent. After the south kingdom fell into ruin the treaty between their peoples endured, mostly due to the fearsome tales of the Elvish Watchers that kept stern vigil upon their native lands. The kingdom of the Elves came to the Plains of Celestia, where the castle and city of Solace was raised. The standard of the king and his order of Bladeson (Elvish knights), for he was their captain as well as their king, was a trio of blazing white stars set against a background of midnight blue.

           

Compared to Humans: Elves are creatures of cold grace and delicate beauty. They are tall as Humans, but more slender, possessing a sense of poise akin to a feline. They have fine features with a slanted brow and brilliant eyes. Elves favor striking colors in their clothes with flowing garments and bright colored capes and cloaks. While they are abroad they are practical, blending in with the land. They value well crafted jewelry, always having a piece or two of great sentiment in their collection that they often wear when not on travels. Elves and Humans know little of one another, leading to fantastic tales or deep suspicion on the side of Humans. Traveling Elves are often the source of wonder, suspicion or awe. Humans, in Elf eyes, are short lived beings with little to offer and no moral substance to prove of true value, so relations are rarely sought or welcomed.

           

Elven history: The history of the Elves is a long and complex one. Even in ancient times the Elves were a people that loved the freedom of the woodland and open road underfoot. Even before the Elves gathered in numbers and crafted a kingdom deep within the Celestial Plains there walked one of their own whose name was greater than Lorith the Wise, first king of the Elves. Ceriod Raithwillow walked the lands of Andurun, naming the animals and beasts that he encountered and giving an account of them in the many, many chronicles that now rest in the hallowed halls of the Elvish kingdom. His word breathed meaning into many creatures and it was he who first encountered the Dwarves living in the heights of their far off mountains. He cared not for ruling or for power so he declined the throne of the Elves and took his leave to far off lands, leaving the boundaries of Andurun forever. It was Lorith the Wise, young in the times of Ceriod, who was given kingship.

At his greatest he tamed many of the lands in Kallendaros. To Lorith was given the Life Spark, said to have brought to him by Jharras the Magnificent, mightiest of the One God’s Eldritch. Shortly after, Lorith was slain in battle during a civil dispute among the Elves, who were divided by their king’s decision to hide away the Life Spark, something entrusted into their care by the One God. Aramyth, Lorith’s son, declined the throne in the wake of his father’s death and Veres took the throne. Veres was the king’s advisor during Lorith’s life and had a hand in hiding away the Life Spark. His rule lasted a mere 600 years, passing over to Romulus, his son when the noble Houses decreed that no king might sit on the throne of the elves for more than a half millennium. Romulus was a mighty king, and might have made as great a name for himself as Lorith the Wise if not for the events of the Cataclysm, which nearly destroyed the Elvish kingdom. Romulus perished during the Cataclysm, leaving behind a sole heir to the throne: his son Correlan. Correlan was a stout warrior and ruler, charged with the daunting task of leading his people from the ashes of the Cataclysm and building his kingdom over again. Again the Life Spark became an issue among their people when certain noble Houses wanted to liberate it from its prison and use its power to rebuild their former glory. Correlan sided against the nobles and a second civil war erupted not two centuries after the Cataclysm. This war too claimed their king, leaving Correlan dead at the hands of treacherous nobles who conspired against their own monarch.

Correlan’s general, Kether, sought vengeance against the noble houses and slew their champion in a duel. He was elevated to the status of king afterward, seeing as how Correlan had no heir to succeed him. Kether was a kind and passionate ruler, but was better known for his charismatic personality and quick sword hand than his wisdom and kingly demeanor. The seventh king was Kether’s son Tyril, who lived in his father’s shadow. Tyril was strained from the first, having to put into place many things his father left neglected during his time upon the throne, and he never seemed to live down that he was only Kether’s son; son of the legendary general. This, combined with other subtle factors, proved to be Tyril’s undoing and he went mad with the desire to be a greater king than his father had been. He drove his people into a bitter war with the Dwarves: the War of Seven Seasons, which caused many casualties and drove a splinter between the Elves and Dwarves, which remains to this day. This war endured from 411-418 of the Second Age. It is long believed by sages that settling Dwarves scouted a rich vein of rare Bronin beneath Elvish lands and petitioned the Elves for rights to mine for the precious metal. Fearing an incursion, Tyril rejected their petition and rose an army to repel the Dwarven settlements too near his lands. Tyril was deposed and fled in shame, leaving Kallendaros for all time.

Anjuruin Elves: The last of the eastern Elves of Parun, the Anjuruin Elves lost their sacred homeland to the Dragons centuries ago, and were thought to be slain to the last during that bitter feud. Western Elves are fully mortal, and for that they carry a sense of bitter anger, partially for the Dragons that stole their homeland from them, and partially toward the cousins in Kallendaros who did not do what right between blood kin: aid them in their time of need. Despite their lack of immortality, Anjuruin Elves can live for several centuries. This is believed to be because of their long stay from their homeland, which has adversely affected their lifespan. As nomads, western Elves do not have a fundamental society or political structure, but are merely an additional people living among the tribal races of Parun.